


You Must Like Me For Me?

by erryday24carrots



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Bodyguard Keith (Voltron), F/F, F/M, Galra Keith (Voltron), Human Shiro (Voltron), I'm always a sucker for Galtean AUs, Keith (Voltron) was Raised by the Blade of Marmora, M/M, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Prince Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-11-06 21:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17947847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erryday24carrots/pseuds/erryday24carrots
Summary: “We should probably get you to bed, Prince Lance,” he said.The Prince turned his head up to look at him and then shot off that same dazzling smile he’d seen him give the noble who’d asked for a dance, and while it was dazzling indeed, it actually… kind of set Keith on edge.“Then take me to bed,” he said smoothly.-----Keith Kogane of the Blade of Marmora is assigned to be the new advisor and personal guard of Prince Lance of Altea. Neither of them thinks too much of it. Neither of them knows what's in store.





	1. Peace, Actually

**Author's Note:**

> Whoooo doggy, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
> 
> I cannot WAIT to write this fic. I have literally so many ideas for where I want to take this and y'all should hold onto your socks because I'm gonna do my damnedest to knock them off. 
> 
> There's gonna be sexual tension and eventual NSFW things in the future, but I plan on tagging accordingly with my updates and letting those who aren't into that know how much to skip without missing plot. We've still got a long way to go though. 
> 
> For now, enjoy the fact that I have begun to upload multiple chapters at once and forgive me because I'm terrible at updating! Have fun!

 

When Keith first stepped foot onto Altean soil, he immediately noticed the smell. It was sweet; not in a sickening way, but in a fresh, satisfying way that seemed to compliment the regality of the outdoor hangar that his ship had just landed in. It was very bright here too, he noticed, the clouds above him light and fluffy compared to the volcanic plumes that had constantly hung in the Daibazaalan sky. Untarnished metal flooring led to polished white marble stones fitted into a shining walkway, where some of his fellow Blade members were already making their way up towards the street. Keith could already see a large crowd had formed in wait of their arrival. He took a deep breath, trying to will his ears from sticking flat against his head. This was gonna be fine. 

A hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Kolivan looking down on him with what he supposed was meant to be an assuring look, but Kolivan is too serious for that, and it looked more like a grimace. He patted his shoulder and nodded his head. 

“We’ll be fine, Keith,” he said. “The ceremony won’t take more than half a varga, and then you can get settled and rest up.”

“Shouldn’t we be helping with the citizens and the integration?” Keith asked as they started walking up towards the street.

“King Alfor has assured us that the Altean royal guard had begun the process two quintants ago - he insisted on our only focus upon arrival being the ceremony.”

“Of course he did.”

It wasn’t that Keith didn’t appreciate the Alteans’ appreciation for their service, he was just worried about remaining idle - being still for too long now made him antsy, and he wanted to focus on either getting himself or everybody else settled. After everything that had happened over the last few decaphoebs - the war, the rebellion, the fall of Daibazaal - Keith had forgotten what a life without constant motion felt like; he’d forgotten if he’d ever felt that at all. And now he was here on Altea, expected to start a new life completely different from any life he’d ever led, and he couldn’t help but notice just how still it all felt.

It wasn’t bad, just… different. 

The Blade of Marmora was being paraded through the streets of the capital city of Altea, Arus, being cheered and applauded and praised by thousands of civilians. Only about 15 of their members were taking place in the ceremony, which made it a little easier for them to traverse through the streets. Mothers held back curious and excited Altean children from rushing up to the stoic, politely waving Blade members, people threw flowers and some kind of soft powder that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight, others waved from open windows of beautiful townhouses. Trumpeting, ground shaking music was being blared in celebration. It really was a magnificent parade and quite an excellent welcome, but while Kolivan made all the members lower their masks, Keith kept his hood up to keep the glittery stuff from getting down the back of his suit. His ears were already stronger than average, and the noise around him was a bit overwhelming. 

As they drew nearer to the castle, the buildings got prettier and more exquisite and Keith felt jittery and more out of place. His dark purple and black Blade suit was a prominent contrast to the stark whites and blues of the city around him. It was only a matter of time before they were ushered into what appeared to be some sort of town square, only about a hundred times bigger than any town square he’d ever seen. Constructed from the same polished white stone beneath his feet, it was ovular in shape and large enough to hold probably all the people in the city. Gleaming blue and white buildings were tucked into the sides, little restaurants and boutiques and vendors scattered about its edges. Thousands of Alteans, and to Keith’s surprise, other races of alien, parted for them as they made their way towards a large and very tall outcropping of gray rock streaked with glowing blue lights, beautiful swirling double staircases carved into its sides leading up to a flattened top on which stood-

“The Royal Family,” Kolivan confirmed. Keith could make out three figures stood at the front of the Acropolis, and what Keith assumed were a few nobles and dignitaries stood behind them. While they were too high up for Keith to make out any faces, he could see the different color clothes each of them had. The tallest and most exquisitely dressed in the middle - King Alfor, dressed in robes of white and red - had his arms spread beside him in welcome. To the King’s right, dressed in a beautiful gown of white and pink, stood who Keith assumed must be Princess Allura, waving with controlled delicacy. And to the King’s left, draped in robes of white and blue-

\- there stood Keith’s entire future. Keith set his jaw. A nudge on his back made him look over his shoulder where Thace was offering a comforting smile, one which Keith attempted to return. Then he straightened his shoulders and went to take his place by Kolivan’s right side, where he looked down at him. Keith nodded, and together they started towards the steps that would lead them to the top of the Acropolis.

There was an Altean guard stood on every other step, so they had to follow up one by one. When they finally made it to the very top, they lined up horizontally behind the Royal Family, facing the crowd as Alfor signaled for the crowd to fall silent. Keith stood again in his place by Kolivan’s right side, Thace and Ulaz right beside him, hands linked. Keith smiled to himself at the sight. They would not have to hide here. Keith was about to lean over to tease them a bit when the King began to speak, and he straightened to attention.

“My people!” his voice boomed from the tiny microphone on his vest across the entire crowd as they cheered in recognition of their king. The King huffed a small laugh and quieted them once again.

“My friends,” he spoke a little softer now. “A magnificent day it is indeed. To be standing here in front of you all, to say to you what I have to say, is a dream I worried I’d never get to live. Beloved people, our war against the tyranny of oppression has ceased. Emperor Zarkon has fallen; let peace reign forever!”

The crown of Alteans echoed loudly the King’s words, “Let peace reign forever!” before again erupting into applause and cheers of joy. The King again signaled for silence.

“However,” he noted, and stillness befell the crowd, “it is not without loss that we celebrate victory. Many of you who stand before me today feel such loss of friends and loved ones who gave their lives so we may experience this moment of freedom. Today, we honor them and ask the Ancients to welcome them in triumph into the halls of Oriande. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

He then opens his hand to reveal a delicate flower with pink petals, which he then tosses over the side. Or at least, it would have been tossed over the side if it didn’t begin to float gently up into the air, twirling lightly in the soft wind. Keith watched as the Prince and Princess then did the same, as did the nobles standing behind them, as did the massive crowd of people below. They all opened their hands and let loose thousands of the pink flowers to float up into the air towards the clouds, spinning along and being taken by the breeze. It was very beautiful.

“With the fall of Zarkon’s dynasty also comes the fall of Daibazaal,” the King took a breath. “The fall of the Galran people.” Keith clenches his fists behind his back. He already knows the story. Zarkon taking the seat of power by no one’s say, quickly turning their once stable government into a captive dictatorship, his only real support coming from the military generals and their armies he’d bribed with power and wealth, and his druid witch of a wife who’d manipulated and blackmailed Galran nobilitaries from all over Daibazaal into submitting to Zarkon’s reign. 

He’d made quick work of taking over the Galran home planet, enslaving his own people in quintessence mines and essentially draining the life out of the planet. He’d then moved on to Galran territories throughout the galaxy, enslaving the people of each planet to bleed their planet dry of its quintessence before moving on to the next one. The quintessence would be brought back to and processed in Daibazaal, used to fuel the Emperor's armies and expand his empire and power. 

Altea, who’d had a decently peaceful alliance with Daibazaal, immediately attempted diplomatic reasoning with the Galran “government” (if you could call Zarkon, his wife, and one or two advisors a government) to end the tyranny or there would be consequences. Zarkon responded with the assassination of two Altean dignitaries on a diplomacy mission on an Altean colony, a statement showing what would happen to those who threatened him. War had begun.

And the Great War lasted for nine decaphoebs.

In the last few decaphoebs of the war, King Alfor decided to form an alliance of all the civilizations that had been fighting against Zarkon, one that would hopefully be strong enough to bring the fall of the empire once and for all. It consisted of five parts, five planets who were willing to give everything to have peace in the universe once more, and they used the image of a lion as their inspiration. 

There was Earth, the Blue Lion, that was not as advanced or progressive as its allies, yet the fighting spirit of humans was equally as admired across the universe as it was feared. 

There was Balmera, the Yellow Lion, a people of such great integrity and honor, each and every one of them standing firm in the fight for their right to peace. 

There was Olkarion, the Green Lion, so technologically advanced and more than willing to offer arms and aid. 

There was Altea, the Red Lion, with their military excellence and reputation as peacekeepers for generations. 

And then there was… 

“Yet, the Galra have yet to be conquered, they have yet to be taken as hostages, yet to lose faith. Now the Galran race can rise again in pride, knowing that they themselves are the reason the universe once again resides in harmony. Friends of Altea, please aid in my deepest and humblest expression of gratitude towards our strongest allies, champions of victory: The Blade of Marmora, the Black Lion of the Voltron Coalition!”

Keith stepped forward with Kolivon and Narti, the Blade’s three top generals, as the crowd below erupted into cheers and applause once again. And while the sound was a bit overwhelming on his ears, he still felt the pride and appreciation that was coming from the crowd. He turned his head slightly and saw his dads, fingers still locked, beaming with pride. 

The cheers carried on as King Alfor turned to face them, grin wide and eyes crinkled as he stepped forward and locked his arm with Kolivan’s. 

“Thank you,” the King said to him, “for everything you’ve done for us.”

“Thank you for being my right hand,” Kolivon replied, and the King pulled his good friend into what looked like a bone-crushing hug. It was the closest Keith had ever seen Kolivan get to a smile. 

They pulled apart and the King turned once again to address the crowd. “We place upon our friends the highest Altean honor: The Medal of Virtutis, in recognition of all they’ve done for Altea, and all they’ve done for the universe.”

More cheers as the King was brought a prettily carved box of white wood, which he opened and took out a silver medal, polished until it shone, intricately designed with stars and nebulas, a stoic, black lion situated in the center. Alfor turned and summoned Kolivon forward, who followed and kneeled in front of the King.

“Kolivon, Major General of the Blade of Marmora, leader of the Black Lion of Voltron, we honor you as an ally and as a friend,” he boomed as the medal was placed over his head and around his neck. He then stood, locked arms with the King once more, and returned to his place between Keith and Narti.

Princess Allura then turned and pulled another medal from the box. With the long, pink sleeves of her gown and the glittering tiara placed on her white hair, she looked just as royal and noble as people said she did. She then summoned Narti forward, a gentle smile on her face, and Narti followed as Kolivan had and kneeled before the Princess. 

“Narti, Lieutenant General of the Blade of Marmora, member of the Black Paladin of Voltron, we honor you as an ally and as a friend,” the King announced again. Narti stood and bowed her head to the Princess before going back to stand on Kolivan’s other side. And then-

And then Prince Lance was going to the box to take the final medal, the one meant for Keith, and he turned around to look at him, and Keith saw the Prince’s face for the first time. 

Keith stepped forward and took in the way his blue and white robes fluttered a bit in the breeze, the way the sunlight glimmered off of the Altean jewelry he was adorned with - earrings, bracelets, a golden choker with a sapphire dangling from the center - and the little circlet that rested upon his head, more blue jewels embedded into the intricate designs circling it. They stood out wonderfully against his brown skin and complimented the blue in his eyes perfectly. 

He was very beautiful. Especially with the way he was smiling warmly at Keith as he knelt before him to accept his medal. 

“Keith Kogane, General of the Blade of Marmora, member of the Black Paladin of Voltron, we honor you as an ally and as a friend,” King Alfor said into the microphone once more as Prince Lance placed the medal over Keith’s head, his ears drawing back for a moment so it could settle over his neck and fall against his chest. The moment felt so slow to him, though it couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds.

Keith eventually stood and took his place at Kolivan’s side once more as the crowd below continued to cheer. The Royal Family again stood side by side while the King brought the ceremony to an end. 

“Altea gladly and graciously welcomes all Galran refugees to make a new home here on our planet. Our people welcome you with open arms. Let this day mark the beginning of a new future - of a new Altea!”

A final loud cheer erupted as the King’s arms raised high towards the people, who began to dance and sing in the streets, letting loose more of the floating pink flowers and the glittery powder they’d released earlier. Music blared and spirits were high as the Altean suns began their slow descent beneath the horizon. 


	2. The Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How'd it get to this?

 

The deal was that after the destruction of their home planet, and due to their loyalty to the Coalition and to peace, King Alfor couldn’t stand by while the Blade of Marmora and other Galran refugees went homeless. All refugees from Daibazaal were welcomed warmly into Altea and integrated pretty successfully into Altean cities around the globe, mostly in the Capital of Arus. Keith expected it to go...not great, but to his surprise, there were fewer problems than he thought. The Alteans were an open-minded people, many of whom were quick and even excited to have an entirely new race of people living amongst them. Altea was a sanctuary planet after all, with actually hundreds of different species of aliens living in their cities amongst the Alteans. The only forms of segregation came in the form of dietary and medical needs. 

King Alfor offered the Blade of Marmora permanent residence in the Castle of Lions, newly renovated shortly after the end of the war to accommodate not only the Royal Family and their service staff, but all forty of the Blade’s members as well. Unable and unwilling to accept such charity, Kolivan immediately declined. Keith remembers the tiff that he and the King had gotten into the day the King presented his offer. 

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’? Much as I hate to say it, it’s not like you’ve got many other options, my friend,’ King Alfor had said with a huff, face clearly confused on the holoscreen projection.

“I mean no,” Kolivon said. “I will not barge into your home and make it that for myself, Alfor. Who do you think I am?”

The King rolled his eyes, to Keith’s surprise and amusement. He wasn’t sure if the King realized he was being projected to the entire control room, himself and Narti included.

“Yes, yeah, I get it, you don’t take charity or acts of kindness or ever let your friends do anything _nice for you_ ,” King Alfor said, exasperated. “How about just this once you hear me out instead of being a-”

“Alfor-”

“No, stop, hear me out,” the King said, eyes and jaw set firmly. 

Kolivon sighed and cleared his throat. Gave him a nod to continue.

“After the most recent attack on Arus, against my better judgment, I let Coran’s grandfather reconstruct the east and south wings of the Castle,” the King said with what sounded like a grumble. “He, of course, overdid it, and you know we only have a certain number of waitstaffs, there is so much room here now. Almost the entirety of the east wing is empty, it’s more than spacious enough to hold-”

“Alfor-”

“- _all_  of the members of the Blade, and then some. You’d be more than comfortable here-”

“You know this is-”

“Too much, yes, I’m aware you think so. Except you’re also far too self-sabotaging and don’t know how to accept generosity when it’s presented to you,” Alfor spoke. Kolivon sighed a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Alfor, this is too much to ask of you. I cannot-... um… Keith, there is a human term I’m looking for-”

“Freeload,” Keith supplied from across the room.

“Yes, exactly, that. I cannot do that to you or to your family. What use would I have to you there? What could I have to offer to you now after the war in return for your charity?”

“Your presence!” Alfor yelled. “Kolivan, my friend, nine decaphoebs fighting a war together and, what, nothing else? You expect us to now part ways, after all we’ve been through, only to see each other at… at diplomacy gatherings and coronations every few decaphoebs? Absolutely not.” Kolivan turned his eyes downward, jaw set, ears flat. Keith and Narti spared a glance at each other. 

“After everything you’ve done for Altea… everything you’ve done for my people, and for me, the very least I could do is offer you a place amongst us. You have nowhere to go, otherwise,” Kolivon opened his mouth to argue, but the King went on.

“Please, Kolivan. Come stay on Altea. Bring your Blades with you. If you don’t do this for yourself, do it for your people. Already thousands of Galran refugees have come here, they’ll need a figurehead and someone to represent them. That should be you.”

Silence befell the room, and Keith was surprised to see Kolivan’s eyes locked on the King, his mind clearly working the offer over. 

“And…” the King began, a more serious tone taking over now, “I could use your help if I’m being honest. Even only a phoeb after Zarkon’s fall, and there have already been a few attacks on members of the Royal Court."

Kolivon frowned. “I’ve heard nothing of these. Enacted by who?”

“Probably a loyalty group. No deaths yet, thank Dea, but it’s put some dignitaries on edge - myself included. Most of my personal guard were either lost to the war or retired shortly after and… I do fear for my children.”

“What are you saying, Alfor?”

“I’m _saying_ that if you won’t accept my generosity, then accept my job offer. You could come to be my advisor and my personal guard. I can pay you very well, you could live in the Castle with my family,” Keith could see Alfor’s excitement growing, his new idea getting ahead of him. “Yes of course! Your Blades could come with you, act as guards and peacekeepers of the city- oh! I’ll give you and your generals all advisor positions in the court..! 

“Alfor, please, control yourself,” Kolivon said with a mirthful huff.

“No, I will not! You will come to Altea, you’ll make a new home here in Arus, you’ll be my new advisor and representative of the Galra race and you will like it!” the King finished, arms crossed over his chest, not budging. Keith and Narti glanced at each other again, afraid to move lest Kolivon remember their audience and kick them out of the room. Silence rang throughout, Kolivon’s scowl unmoving on his face as he and the King stared each other down. Then, Kolivon sighed, and the King grinned because he knew he’d won.

“ _Only_ if you can agree to _never do me any favors again_ ,” he grumbled.

“Yes of _course_!” the King’s excitement was so visible on his face as he continued to ramble about preparations to be made. “We already have a welcoming ceremony waiting for you, my friend! We’ll begin preparing the south wing at once for your members, and- oh! A feast! We’ll have a great feast on the night of your arrival-”

Kolivan ended the holoscreen call abruptly with a roll of his eyes, then seemed to remember that his two generals were sitting a little ways away, watching him with furrowed brows and expectation on their face.

_What was that?_ Narti signed.

Kolivon sighed again. “New assignment,” he said. “Pack your bags.”

And so Keith and the rest of the Blades were going to make new lives on Altea, in the Castle of Lions, as peacekeepers of the city and advisors and guardians of the Royal Family. Because Kolivan and King Alfor were such good friends, he would become the personal advisor to the King of Altea and a representative in the Altean Royal Court. 

Narti, Lieutenant General and second in command of the Blade, was given the duty of being guard and advisor of the Princess Allura, next in line for the throne of Altea, and also a representative in the Royal Court.

And Keith?

“Prince Lance?” Shiro asked through Keith’s handheld, barely holding in his laughter. “You’re gonna be the new advisor of _Prince Lance_?”

Keith was in his room on the space cruiser carrying him and the rest of the Blade to Altea. They’d be there within the movement and Keith was feeling restless with so little to do, so he’d called Shiro back on Earth.

Keith frowned. “Yeah, and I don’t see what’s so funny about it, _Your Royal Highness_ ,” he teased. Shiro laughed harder.

“Well, you’re right, it’s not funny,” he said, not hiding his smirk very well. “It’s an honorable position and I’m very proud of you. Military General of Altea _and_ personal advisor of the Prince? That’ll do it.”

“What, is he really that bad?” Keith asked, a bit of anxiety curling in his stomach. “Oh shit. He’s not like… 12 or something, is he?”

Shiro laughed again. “No, no he’s not, he’s around your age. He’s just a bit of a character. I’d describe him more, but I think it’d do you better to just meet him for yourself. Nothing you can’t handle, General,” he said with a mock salute. 

Keith was appreciative of Shiro’s assurance and found himself missing him now more than ever. It had been so good to see him during the post-war celebrations when all the members of the Voltron Coalition gathered together, but it had been almost an entire phoeb since then. He just wished they had more time to talk to each other, but they were both busy people. It’d have to wait until Keith could get settled into the Castle. 

He promised to call Shiro again as soon as he got to his new home, and they said their goodbyes to each other as Keith was summoned to the control room with Narti to begin briefing of Altea. 

And that was the deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two! I really like the idea of Alfor and Kolivon being good friends, I think they'd work well together.


	3. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith settles into his new home at the Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is super short! I just wanted to separate this moment from the rest of it all.

Keith learned quickly that he would not be living with the rest of the Blades.

His heart sunk a little bit to learn he wouldn’t have a room closer to his dads in the eastern wing, but when he was shown his room directly adjacent to Prince Lance’s, it picked up again. It was probably the nicest room he’d ever been in, and it was his. A bed twice the size of the one he’d had on the Marmora ship was sat in the center of the righthand wall, plush pillows and a soft looking comforter laid atop it. To the left of the bed was a sturdy desk with lots of drawers and a stool in front of it, a beautifully made lamp on top. A doorway opened to a reasonably large bathroom on the other side. On the left side of the room were two lavish armchairs facing a white stone mantle and fireplace, and directly in front of him-

“Holy shit…” he muttered under his breath, bag dropping to the floor by the bed as he slowly approached the floor to ceiling windows that made up the entirety of the wall. Keith looked out in awe at the sparkling sea as the suns really began to set behind it. He didn’t have any windows in his room on the ship.

He turned and opened his small bag and began pulling the few things out that he brought, laying them onto the bed. He put the few clothes he owned into the dresser on the side of the bed where the desk wasn’t. He placed the two picture frames he had on the desk and set his new medal on top of his dresser. Took the little bag containing his toothbrush and hairbrush and brought them into the bathroom, where there was a really large marble countertop and sink, a toilet, a beautifully tiled shower, and a-

Wait. What the fuck was that?

Against the back of the bathroom and next to the shower was a weird… bowl thing. Almost a perfect circle, it was set into the floor with the same pretty tiles as the shower and connected to one side of it was what looked like a faucet you’de see on a sink. There was a hole at the bottom of it, and Keith had absolutely no idea what it did or what it was for. When he touched the ceramic inside of it though his hand slipped and he almost fell all the way into it, so he immediately decided he didn’t like it and wouldn’t use it.

He walked out of the bathroom and into his room again to finish unpacking only to realize his bag was already empty. Hands on his hips, he turned around the room and surveyed it once more. “Alright so… that’s… fine,” he said to nobody. There was a gentle knock on his door, and he turned to see Ulaz peeking into the room.

“Alright if I come in?” he asked, walking in anyway and looking about the room in interest as Keith sat at the foot of the bed. “Very nice. Not too different from our room, only a little bit smaller.”

Keith’s ears perked up. “Our..?” he asked.

Ulaz nodded and sat next to him, admiring the craftsmanship of the fireplace across the room. “Didn’t even need to ask. They just led Thace and me up to the third floor and into the same room. I suspect Kolivan had something to do with it,” he said, a little smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah, what a sap,” Keith rolled his eyes, but he was happy for them. There wasn’t really space for two-person rooms on the Marmora ship where they lived during the war. There wasn’t really space for romance or relationships during the war. It would be good for them to have a place to call home that was both of theirs.

“How’s Thace?” Keith asked.

“How do you think.”

“Bouncing off the walls?”

“Why else would I come here?”

“Oh, gee, I dunno Dad, to come congratulate your son on his new position and status?” Keith said with a huff. Ulaz let out a laugh.

“Can’t let your head get too big now, can I?” he joked back, but he was already smoothing his fingers through Keith’s hair, pulling him closer and settling his chin on his head. Keith was the shortest Blade on the force, and they rarely let him forget it.

“This is a good place to start a new life,” Ulaz said. He lowered his head to meet his eyes. “I know you’re nervous. But you will see. Time will show you.”

Keith didn’t know how he did it, how he could always sense Keith’s nerves and somehow knew just how worried he was about his belonging here. It didn’t do much to settle them, but Keith appreciated the effort. He let Ulaz settle his hand on his shoulder and he nodded. “I know.”

Ulaz nodded in return and leaned to kiss the top of Keith’s head before standing and heading for the door. “Do well to remember to visit your father, I’ll bet he already misses you dearly,” he chided before turning at the door to face him. “And, hey. Don’t bring your attitude to your first day tomorrow.”

“Oh come on, when have I ever-”

Ulaz just gave him a lingering, unimpressed stare before slipping out the door. Keith huffed a laugh. _Attitude_ , he thought to himself, grumbling. _I won’t bring an attitude to them if they don’t bring an attitude to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bathtub, dumbass.


	4. An Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The celebratory feast commences and Keith has An Experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is much longer, sorry about how weird the chapter lengths are. But! Lance and Keith actually interact in this one so. Progress I guess.

The feast was very nice. It was set in the greatest ballroom located in the Western wing of the Castle, a beautiful room strung with lights and flowers, one half holding chairs and tables piled high with food and drink and the other serving as a dance floor, a small stage holding Altean musicians playing their instruments charmingly. There was a skylight in the middle of the ceiling allowing the moonlight to stream through, creating a truly tasteful effect.

Keith felt terribly out of place.

There were at least a hundred people there, which at the least made it easy for Keith to stand politely near one of the tall marble columns and not be noticed too much, because that was really the last thing he wanted. He felt a bit awkward in the event attire he’d been given to change into because apparently, it wasn’t appropriate to wear his armor to a welcome feast. They fit him well, at least, the pants he’d been given not exactly loose but flexible enough to be comfortable in. His black tunic was tapered the slightest at his waist and sat snug across his chest, and while he wasn’t a fan of the fact that it was sleeveless, he was grateful for the light cloak that ran cropped across his shoulders and chest and fell longer against his back, collared high on his neck. All in colors of black and dark purple, it suited him really well against his pale purple fur.

And it wasn’t that he didn’t like it, it just… wasn’t him. He’d never worn anything so nice before in his life, and the delicate fabric felt strange against him, and his hair had been pulled into a tight braid but not tight enough because it was still coming undone around his bangs and the sides of his face, and-

Keith was just probably grumpy from all the travel. What he really wanted was to be in his sleepwear, trying out the gigantic new bed he’d been gifted with. He swirled the pale yellow drink in his hand (it was a little too bitter for his taste) before taking another sip, grimacing. He didn’t know how long Altean feasts usually lasted, but he was hoping not much longer.

Not that he wasn’t necessarily entertained. Lots of interesting dancing was taking place on the floor in front of him, the strung lights glowing on the guests below them as they twirled and stepped together. 

When a slower, waltz-like rhythm began to play from the stage, Keith watched with a small smile as Thace led Ulaz to the floor, rolled his eyes at their sickeningly sweet smiles and blushing faces and ignored the  _ aww _ from the people beside him when they rested their foreheads together.  _ Jeez, you’d think they were still juveniles,  _ he thought to himself. Something came into his field of vision somewhere to his left, though, and he tore his eyes away from the dancefloor to see what shiny thing had caught his eye.

The shiny thing was, in fact, the Prince.

He, like the rest of his family, had changed from his outdoor robes to what had to be one of the most intricate articles of clothing Keith had ever seen, and if he was being honest, it seemed excessive. A sleeveless tunic like his, only here light blue with white and silver threaded patterns, no cloak to cover him but instead a thin, sheer white cape that connected from the high top of his collar to the silver, sparkling bangles on his wrists, and light blue pants that Keith only hoped were as flexible as his, or else they’d be very uncomfortable. Aside from the bangles on his wrists keeping his cape afloat, he’d adorned three studded diamond earrings on each pointed ear, and on one a pretty silver chain connected the smallest stud to a little clip at the tip of his ear. And, of course, the silver, sapphire-jeweled circlet resting on his head. He sparkled, looking absolutely regal and majestic.

Or, at least, he would be if he wasn’t currently attempting to stick a toothpick into the wig of what appeared to be an Altean noble with her back turned.

Keith watch, brow furrowed, and couldn’t help but notice that there already seemed to be two or three brightly colored toothpicks stuck snugly into the poor noblewoman’s quite atrocious wig, and Prince Lance was currently in the process of sticking another blue one into the poofy top of it when he froze, ear flicking slightly, seeming to sense eyes on him. He turned his head slowly, arm still raised with toothpick in hand, glancing up and up until his eyes locked on Keith’s. 

The most magnificent jewel Prince Lance wore were his eyes.

They stood there for a moment, eyes locked, Keith leaning against the marble column and brows probably still furrowed in confusion, the Prince stick still, eyebrows raised in surprise like he wasn’t expecting to get caught despite the fact that he was very much out in the open. 

Prince Lance slowly stuck the final toothpick into her wig. Keith narrowed his eyes.

The Prince took a quick step back before schooling his expression, hands behind his back, eyes anywhere but Keith’s and whistling softly as if he wasn’t just desecrating a noblewoman’s horrible wig. Keith still hadn’t moved, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a curl of amusement in his chest at the sight of it.

But the curl was almost immediately snuffed when another young Altean noble approached the Prince and bowed deeply, placing a kiss on his knuckles and asking for a dance. The Prince flashed a dazzling smile and accepted, and then he was being swept away onto the dancefloor, and that was that.

Keith stood there a moment longer, watching the place in the crowd where the Prince had just disappeared into and thought to himself:

_ What the fuck was that? _

\----------

When the night finally ended it was well into the early hours of the morning, and at this point, Keith could feel the exhaustion in his bones. He’d eaten and drank well (better than he had in quite some time) and could feel sleep tugging at his eyes. He was quite ready to fall into bed, knowing he had to be up fairly early for the following day and had just said goodnight to Thace and Ulaz when a voice called his name, and he froze.

He turned and bowed his head respectfully as King Alfor approached him. “Your Majesty,” he greeted, hoping the exhaustion he felt wasn’t as visible on his face as he thought. The King waved a hand to put him at ease.

“You enjoyed the feast, I trust?” he asked him. Keith nodded.

“Everything was excellent. Thank you so much for-”

“Ah, yes of course. I get enough ‘thank you’s’ from Kolivan as it is. This is your home now too, Keith, feel no need to thank me anymore,” he said as he led Keith through the columns toward the large balcony overlooking the high cliffs and flower fields below. The Castle of Lions sat high and noble atop the Acropolis, and Keith enjoyed the breeze he could feel from up here. 

_ Yeah, except I physically cannot do that, but okay,  _ Keith thought to himself. 

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Kieth replied instead.

“I am very excited and honored to have the Generals of the Blade of Marmora working and living so close. It certainly puts my mind at ease knowing I have such esteemed skill protecting my family and serving my court.”

“The honor is entirely ours, Your Majesty, I assure you.”

The King chuckled. “You sound like your father.”

Keith raised a brow. “You’ve met my fathers?”

The King nodded. “Only Thace, thus far. He came to thank me directly for his housing situation. I wasn’t aware it was so important, but he seemed very moved by it.”

Keith held back a laugh. “That sounds like him. It’s been… an emotional day for us all.”

They stood in silence for a moment longer, overlooking the cliffs and feeling the sweet breeze. Keith wasn’t sure what to do with his hands so he kept them grasped behind him, though he didn’t feel so much like the King was judging him; he seemed more laid back than Keith had thought. He felt himself relax the slightest bit.

“There is actually something I wished to speak to you about.”

Nevermind.

“In return for residency in the Castle of Lions and a place in the Royal Court, you’ve been given the duty of being advisor and personal guard to my son, Lance.”

They both turned their heads to look at where Prince Lance and Princess Allura were standing at one of the dining tables, swaying on their feet and laughing drunkenly, attempting to help pile plates and utensils up for the waitstaff to carry away. Which Keith found… odd.

“Yes,” Keith affirmed.

The King nodded, something like a grimace on his face, before speaking, “Yes, well, I’m sure Kolivan has briefed you time and again on your expected duties and… the risks of taking up such a title.”

Keith let his shoulders square and bowed his head slightly. “I have pledged my life to the Royal Family, Your Majesty.”

The King huffed a laugh and startled Keith with a hand on his shoulder. “Someday I’ll get you to relax around me,” he chuckled as Keith stiffened under his hand. “Yes, that’s all well and good, but there are some things I feel I should let you know before things begin to settle tomorrow. If you would come to my office at around eight o’clock in the morning, we’ll discuss the subject further.”

Keith gulped. Nodded and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Seeming pleased with his answer, the King lifted his hand from his shoulder with a nod. “Right then. As for now, if you and Narti would please escort those two fools,” he nodded at his children, “to their rooms for the night, that’ll be all. You should turn soon.”

Keith bowed once more to the King. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said before being dismissed and walking across the now almost empty ballroom towards where the Prince and Princess were still attempting to help clean. He caught Narti on the way, signaled towards them, and together they approached the two laughing siblings. Keith cleared his throat.

“The King has asked us to escort you to your rooms,” he said.

They turned to face their new advisors and guards, and Allura immediately perked up.

“Narti!” She squealed, drunk, and messily linked her arm with Narti’s. “Your room should be right next to mine, I want to see how you’ve moved into it!”

Narti gave Keith a look over her shoulder, one that he knew said  _ I own, like, four things _ , before walking the wobbly Princess through the doors and back into the Northern wing of the Castle, where their sleeping quarters were. Keith himself was very much ready to be in  _ his  _ sleeping quarters, so he turned back to offer the Prince his arm only to find he was no longer standing in front of him. He was sitting on the ground, poking his finger at something. Keith contained the urge to roll his eyes.

“Your Highness-” he began, stepping forward.

“Wait- no no no wait! You’ll step on it!” he whisper-yelled, hands coming down protectively over the little thing on the ground he’d poked at.

“On what?” he asked.

The Prince turned his face up at him to give him an unimpressed stare before scooping up the little thing from the floor and struggling to his feet. He wobbled even closer to Keith, who had to fight the urge to balance him by his shoulders, and motioned him to lean closer to his cupped palms. Slowly, he opened them, and Keith saw what all the fuss was about.

A tiny, silvery moth shivered lightly as the Prince opened his palm fully. It crawled a little way up is finger before fluttering its wings and taking off into the night. The two boys watched it go. Keith blinked and turned back to the drunk Prince, who was squinting his eyes a little into the sky to see if he could follow where it went. Keith sighed and cleared his throat again.

“We should probably get you to bed, Prince Lance,” he said.

The Prince turned his head up to look at him and then shot off that same dazzling smile he’d seen him give the noble who’d asked for a dance, and while it was dazzling indeed, it actually… kind of set Keith on edge.

“Then take me to bed,” he said smoothly.

Keith promptly ignored the choice of words used as the Prince linked his arm into Keith’s and they began the walk towards their room. The Prince filled the silence every once in a while with a comment about the feast or how lovely the night was as Keith led them down the halls towards the Northern wing. Keith just listened. The Prince had a very nice voice, soft and soothing and seemingly complimenting the quiet of the night after the festivities had died down. 

It was such a pleasant moment, the quiet voice of the Prince as he chatted and the way he clung to Keith’s arm, the moonslight streaming through the windows to lead their way, and Keith found himself thinking that perhaps his future was brighter than he let himself believe? He liked the Prince, the Prince seemed to like him, and hopefully, they could even become friends. Keith found himself wondering when the other shoe was going to drop, but he stopped himself.  _ Perhaps there is no other shoe to drop,  _ he thought.  _ This could be very nice indeed. _

They came to a halt at Prince Lance’s door, and he slipped his arm from Keith’s and turned to face him. Smiled that gentle smile. Placed a hand on his chest right above his heart. Keith kept his hands firmly behind his back, even as Lance leaned up on his tippy toes to whisper in his ear.

“You seem a good man. A brave soldier. Wise and strong and capable,” Keith felt the heat gather on his cheeks, but he said nothing. Prince Lance lowered to look him in the eyes.

“I’ll have you gone by morning,” he whispered.

Then he patted Keith’s cheek, turned to slip into his room, and shut the door in Keith’s face. 

Shoe: dropped. 

Keith stood outside his door for a moment, confusion plastered onto his face no doubt, ears flat against his head, thinking,

_ What the fuck was that? _

_ What the fuck was that?  _ he thought as he eventually entered his room.

_ What the fuck was that? _ he thought as he stripped out of his formal wear.

_ What the fuck was that?  _ he thought as he splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth.

_ What the fuck was that?  _ he thought as he crawled into his bed, finally experiencing the softness of the pillows and comforter but not able to enjoy it as much as he wanted.

_ What the fuck was that? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ O m i n o u s ~


	5. Keith's Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith visits King Alfor in his study to have a very important conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all my blood has been replaced with caffeine. Also this chapter is very plot based but includes some important information that will be included later in the story, so *slaps laptop* come get y'all juice.

The experience from the night before had been promptly and purposefully shoved from Keith’s mind the next morning as he made his way through the castle towards the King’s office in the Southern wing. At the ripe hour of ass o’clock in the morning, Keith had rolled out of his new, infuriatingly comfortable bed and grabbed a shower before putting on his (now, somehow, clean) Blades uniform and mentally psyching himself up for the meeting he was to have with King Alfor. 

Normally he wouldn’t be this tired in the morning. In fact, in his serving time with the Blades he’d have to be up and ready by 6:00 AM sharp, and when he’d been promoted to General even earlier than that. However with the amount they’d traveled the day before paired with the social exhaustion of the medal ceremony and the feast that night, he felt far more sluggish than he should have as he walked down the long corridors of the Southern wing. 

As he approached the large, white doors of the King’s study, he felt that tickle of apprehension that had seemed to be following him around since landing yesterday. He honestly had not a clue about what to expect from this conversation. The King seemed comfortable around him, and he knew how to address and approach him, and he knew there couldn’t be a possibility he’d gotten in trouble for anything yet. He tried to use these thoughts to settle his nerves, but the memory of last night kept cropping up in his brain - Prince Lance, drunk and on his tiptoes, whispering to Keith he’d have him gone - and it made him nervous all over again. Could the Prince really do such a thing? Had the Prince already done it?

Keith checked the time on his handheld. 7:59. He took a deep breath and let it out, and then he knocked lightly on the door as he watched the time tick to 8:00.

“Come in.”

The King’s study was absolutely packed with books. Keith was slightly taken aback just upon noticing how  _ different  _ this room appeared than the other rooms he’d seen in the Castle. It was the same general architecture - the same whites and light blues, beautiful tiles and tall walls and windows, plush furniture and all - but this room just seemed more  _ lived in _ . Books stacked and open everywhere, on his desk and tables and squeezed tight into the bookshelves lining the walls. His desk was a little bit worn around the edges. Photos in frames. A morning sweater thrown over the back of the couch. 

Keith realized it was the first room in the castle he’d been in that wasn’t new or that simply belonged to one person. 

King Alfor was standing at one of the two windows that overlooked the city square below, watching the bustling of people beginning their day as the first two of Altea’s three suns creeped higher in their reign of the day. He turned to face Keith when he shut the door, and smiled warmly at him. He gestured for him to have a seat as he himself sat down at his desk.

As Keith took the armchair in front of him he noticed the books stacked on the King’s desk. Most were political accounts and history books, even a few seemingly new ones written in Galran. Keith thought he spotted a novel or two amongst the many hardbacks, but he didn’t say anything.

“Do you read, Keith?” the King asked. 

Keith hesitated at the question. What was this about? “Yes, your Majesty.”

“Avidly?”

“Not so much as when I was younger, but when I get the chance.”

“Hm. And what kinds of books did you read?”

Keith hesitated again. “Mostly Earth and Galran literature, your Majesty. I enjoy history and historical fiction. Some poetry.”

The King smiled at him again, tapping a hand at his leg and then stood up and walked around his desk and towards one of his less crowded bookshelves. Keith stood at attention when the King rose, but was immediately ushered back down.

“Please, Keith, relax. It’s eight in the damn morning,” he said with a chuckle, “there’s no need for formalities at this hour,” he said distractedly, eyes wandering the spines of the books on the shelf. With a little “Aha” he picked out a medium sized book, hardcover, and brought it back around to where Keith had (uncomfortably) sat back down. He dropped it into his lap and moved to sit back down at his desk. The cover read “The Government and Citizens of Capital City Arus: A Thorough History.”

“It isn’t nearly as boring as it sounds,” the King said. “I quite appreciated the author’s narrative voice - she kept it interesting.” Keith looked between the book and the King, confused but grateful all the same. He hadn’t had a solid book to read for himself in a long time. “Books like that one would do you right; it would be quite helpful to know some of Altea and Arus’ history before your and your fellow Blades’ integration into the Royal Court. Something tells me you’ll enjoy it.”

Keith was a little bit shocked. A few minutes ago he’d been paranoid about losing his position before he’d even begun it, and here he was being given book recommendations by the King? “Thank you, your Majesty.”

The King gave a nod and a smile, his eyes crinkling warmly. “I truly am looking forward to having you in my court, Keith. I’ve heard and seen nothing but greatness about you during the war. Kolivan is one of my oldest and most trusted friends, and he speaks very highly of you.” Keith withheld a smile.

“Thank you, your Majesty.” The King nodded with a small sigh.

“I need to talk to you about Lance,” he said, and the air in the room stilled.

Keith tensed but tried not to show it, putting all his energy into keeping his ears still and alert instead laying flat against his head in discomfort like they so badly wanted to. He nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. The King kept his eyes on his hands folded on his desk as he continued.

“When Lance was born, it was truly a miracle. Melanor, my wife, was very healthy and of course had access to the best care in Altea, but when she was pregnant with Lance he was… extremely weak. Abnormally small and fragile, and seemingly growing at half the pace that normal Altean babies do - six phoebs into her pregnancy and he was just barely showing. He was extremely sick,” the King kept his eyes downcast, eyes clouded over in remembrance.

“It wasn’t necessarily unheard of. There’d been rare, tragic occasions of Altean women preparing for the birth of their child only for their child to never come,” he glanced up at Keith, eyes misty. “Things like that only ever seem to happen to other people, you know? You’re never prepared for when they happen to you.”

Keith found himself gripping his hands together, invested in the King’s words. He looked back up at Keith, more serious than he’s ever seen him.

“Do you know about Oriande, Keith?” he asked. Keith nodded his head.

“The final resting place of the White Lion. Kolivan told us about it.” The King nodded.

“Oriande is the Alteans’ most sacred place. Very few have been granted permission to enter, and even fewer return from doing so,” he sighed. “My wife was one of those few.”

Keith's eyebrows raised in surprise. 

“The White Lion allowed only Melanor and her midwife to enter, and they stayed inside for three quintants. Arus was practically shut down; I was… completely nonfunctional, and my wife was well loved among the people. All we could do was wait.”

“And on the final of three days, my wife returned. She looked no different, showed no changes. I was so confused, but she told me she couldn’t tell me what had happened while she was gone. She would always… ” the King took a shaky breath, “always smile at me, assure me all we needed was to be patient. She always told me that she knew it would be alright.”

Keith was literally on the edge of his seat. The King smiled.

“And it was. Three more phoebs until her due date and Lance was  _ growing _ . Not a single doctor we asked could explain it; they’d never seen the likes of it before. He was on course to be born around her predicted date like he’d never been sick at all,” he looked up at Keith.

“He was  _ healing  _ himself.”

Keith’s eyes widened. The king tapped a cube on his desk and holographic photo blinked to life. What appeared to be about a two-years-old Princess Allura was holding and smiling down at a wide eyed, chubby faced Prince Lance in her lap, who was looking out in curiosity at whoever must have been taking the photo of him. Even in such an old and flickering image, his eyes glittered much in the way they do now. Keith couldn’t help the small smile he had.

“It’s a beautiful photo,” he said.

“It is. He got his mother’s lovely brown hair,” the King replied, smiling proudly. “The Ancients of Oriande gifted him with healing magic - it’s a recessive trait that had been lost to the Royal family for centuries,” he huffed a laugh. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of flutterbugs he’d bring back to life in the garden despite the gardeners’ protests they were eating the juniberries.” Keith reeled in shock.

“The… Prince Lance can reanimate..?”

“Nothing bigger than a flutterbug, no. However he has proven to be an incredible healer. It truly is a sight to behold. He and Melanor would often sit together and read stories of the Ancient healers of Oriande, and he would try to practice on every injured creature he came across,” his smile faltered. “He-” the King shuddered a breath, “he blamed himself when he was unable to heal his mother before her death.”

Keith let his eyes fall to the ground at the mention of the untimely sickness and death of the Queen, and the room was silent. When the King continued to say nothing, Keith spoke. 

“Your Majesty,” he said quietly, “why are you telling me all this?” The King looked at him again, his lips set in a deliberate line.

“My children are the most important things in my life - they’re all I have left of Melanor. Allura is strong and determined, and I know that comes from her destiny for the throne, but my son… he is my miracle. He is immeasurably precious to me, and I cannot imagine what I would do should any harm befall him. And although I know he has a soul as strong as his mother’s, he is still fragile and vulnerable.”

Keith watched as the King stood again to watch outside his window, seemingly restless now. Keith stood with him at attention, hands clasped behind his back, the King not bothering to put him at ease.

“The public doesn’t know about Lance’s gift. It’s been kept almost completely under wraps so as to protect him and the rest of our family from poachers. Not even the Royal court, not even Kolivan is aware. The only ones who know are myself, Allura, and their governor, Coran,” the King turned to look at him. “I am telling you this because you need to know the severity of this secret, and the details of what you have been assigned to protect.”

Keith nodded his head. “Of course, your Majesty.”

“Nobody can know. Lance is one of the greatest gifts this kingdom has, and he must be preserved. His is the legacy of Altea,” the King approached him from behind his desk. “I know you have said your official vows already when you were accepted into service under the Crown. But I need you to say them again to me now.”

Keith nodded, expression severe, and began to kneel before the King to re-pronounce his vows of service when the King stopped him.

“No,” he said. “I need you to look me in the eye.”

Keith could feel his heart pounding with intensity. Standing straight, he raised his right hand and held his fist over his heart - the salute of the Marmora - eyes locked with his King.

“I am prepared to protect the life of the Prince with my own. I swear this on my Blade.”

At those words the King’s eyes softened, and he breathed out as if he had been holding his breath. He offered Keith a soft smile, and raised a hand to set him at ease. 

“Thank you, Keith,” he said quietly.

“Of course, your Majes-” Keith was cut off as the King reached forward and embraced him, and his entire body stiffened. He completely froze with his hands at his sides, ears pressed flat, unsure if he was allowed to hug him back, and unsure how. The only people he’d hugged were his dads and Shiro. The  _ King  _ was  _ hugging  _ him..? 

“I have great faith in you, Keith,” King Alfor said to him. Then he pulled back, hands on Keith’s shoulders, and let out a laugh. Probably at Keith’s awestruck, awkward face and stiff body. 

“That was a terrible hug,” he said, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’ll get there.” Just then there was a knock on the door, and the King was dropping his hands from his shoulders and telling them to come in. Kolivan walked through the door.

“Breakfast, your Majesty,” he said.

“Ah, thank you Kolivan. Come, Keith, I’m sure we’re all ready for a meal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally love writing Alfor as a more laid back guy who gets scary when he's serious. I'm also really excited for the next few chapters, because they'll be heavier on Keith and Lance. It's gonna be good folks. Can I get a hell yeah?
> 
> Also for now it says this will be 10 chapters, but I'm looking at my plot outline and it... it's probably gonna be more than 10 chapters amigos. I'm really happy to have you all along for the ride tho. Or something. Shut up.


	6. 10 o'clock Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Royal Family and Advisors have an interesting breakfast experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's good! To the people still reading this and leaving kudos and comments, bless your poor deprived hearts. Im lov u. Anyways, this chapter is, how you say, goofy af. We get some Klassic Klance interaction so buckle up bitches.

 

Breakfast did not go well.

At least, not for Keith. It definitely  _ should _ have gone well. Probably  _ could _ have gone well, except Keith is a great big dumb idiot who wakes up each morning convinced that the universe is gonna throw him a bone for the day only to be thrown a stick of dynamite. And while, yes, the morning did indeed seem to blow up in his face, Keith would like to make it abundantly clear that it  _ wasn’t his fault _ .

Mostly.

Keith already knew that part of the duties involved in his new assignment came with significant perks. He gets his own very comfortable room. He has access to the Castle’s massive and sufficient library, as King Alfor told him as they walked with Kolivan to the dining room together. And while it is considered part of his duties to the Prince, taking meals with the Royal family every day didn’t really seem like much of a chore as they were greeted with the warm, sweet smell of breakfast coming from down the hall of the dining room, probably the kitchens. The King and Kolivan took seats next to each other at the round and  ornate dining table in the center of the room, Kolivan already opening his tablet to show the King something or other.

“Should I fetch Prince Lance, your Majesty?” Keith asked.

“Oh, no that’s quite alright. He’ll be down on his own in a moment. You can have a seat Keith,” he said, eyes going back to Kolivan’s tablet. Keith took a step towards the table, a little unsure of where he should sit, but Kolivan’s eyes met his and then darted to the space across from him, and Keith took his seat there. A few servants came in from that hall where the kitchens seemed to be and began setting food in front of the King first, before then filling Kolivan and his plates. Keith made sure to thank each one. 

Keith listened to the King and Kolivan’s conversation, eating the spiced pastries slowly as they talked about major integration points in the city. But the longer Keith sat there, the more he found himself thinking about his own conversation with the King earlier, and about Lance’s secret. Keith was truly honored to be trusted with such an important and well kept secret - it was the last thing he’d expected out of their talk. But he also couldn’t help but feel conflicted about the situation as a whole. 

Keith was a soldier and General in a war - he knew what it meant to keep a secret, knew how far it can take you to know the most important ones. The Blade of Marmora was founded entirely on concealment, having been operated almost entirely in secret for the majority of the war’s first years. Knowledge or Death, after all. Except this is a secret he did not earn, and it was not even one given to him by Prince Lance himself. He was one of four others to know this thing about the Prince and the Prince didn’t even know it yet. Not to mention he seemed to already dislike Keith very much, which was certainly a problem likely to worsen should it not be faced soon.

On the other hand though, he felt very fortunate to have gained the King’s trust so quickly. The Prince was obviously one of the sources of King Alfor’s pride and concern. Keith  now had a chance to prove himself worthy of a place in the Royal Court and of a position in the Royal Family. The Prince did not have to like him, sure, and he himself did have a bit of an attitude problem, yes. But Keith knew he couldn’t stain the reputation of the Blade by failing in his duties of protecting and advising him. 

Today, he would try to make friends with Prince Lance. At the very least, tolerable acquaintances. 

Princess Allura came in not long after they’d sat down, dressed in comfortable yet appropriate morning clothes, looking freshly cleaned, Narti at her side. Keith nodded a quick hello to her, and she nodded back as she and the Princess took their seats. Servants began to immediately fill their plates as they sat.

“Good morning, everyone,” the Princess said cheerfully as she picked up her silverware, smiling at Keith and Kolivan. “Sleep well?” she asked in her father’s direction.

“Yes, of course, darling. And yourself?” he responded, eyes glued to his tablet.

“Ah. Kolivan you should know that roughly translates to ‘Not at all,’” she said, smiling. Keith did his best to subdue his smile.

The King looked up, unimpressed. “Okay, that’s not-”

“Yes, thank you Princess,” Kolivan replied. “I am aware.”

“Excuse me-” the King protested.

“He has to listen to you now; perhaps together we can force him into a decent sleeping schedule.”

“I’m already on it, Princess.”

She smiled a pretty smile. “I think you and I will become fast friends, Kolivon.”

“Oh, go bother your own adviser, Allura,” the King said, biting into his sweet prunes. She laughed and gave Narti a nudge.

Things seemed alright. Kolivan didn’t seem too terribly on edge, which was a good sign. And Keith was beginning to have the slightly hopeful feeling for the first time since he’d arrived that perhaps he could handle this after all.

Prince Lance then burst into the dining room, and he couldn’t have been more dramatic about it if he’d tried.

“Good morning to absolutely everyone but my Father,” he announced dryly to the room, still in his sleep robes, looking pointedly offended. “Thank you all for so graciously not beginning breakfast without me."

“Good morning, Lance,” the Princess said through a mouthful of sweetbread.

“Manners, Allura,” mumbled the King. The Prince sat down next to Keith - in the last seat available - with a scowl and a flourish, robes wisping around him. And while he looked well rested ( _ As he should _ , Keith thought,  _ after sleeping longer than everyone else _ ), the glower he wore darkened his blue markings and crinkled his forehead and nose and made him look… well it would be intimidating if the Prince wasn’t an entire head shorter than him. Keith silently ate another piece of fruit and kept his eyes on his plate. 

“Sleep well, Lance?” the King asked.

“Absolutely not. I lied awake for hours thinking about how little control I have over my own life.”

King Alfor sighed and set his fork down right as Princess Allura rolled her eyes with a groan.

“Lance, it’s not even 10 o’clock yet.”

“Please don’t make this uncomfortable right now, Lance.”

“Oh I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable, Father? Would you like me to hire you another bodyguard, or is just the one enough? Good morning, Kolivan.”

“Good morning, Prince Lance.”

“Lance, they are  _ Royal Advisors _ .”

(They’re talking about Keith. They’re talking about  _ Keith _ ?)

“Yes, and I thought you’d agreed to allow one movement from their arrival before you were allowed to complain?”

“Shut it, Allura.”

“Lance! Be  _ polite _ .”

“No, I don’t have to, it’s not even 10 o’clock yet.”

“Please eat your breakfast Lance, I’ve no doubt you’ve got plenty of meetings and classes to get through today.”

“Terribly sorry, I thought I had a  _ Royal Advisor _ to do that for me now?”

Keith was extremely uncomfortable.

When he glanced at Narti, she was completely encapsulated by the wood of the table. When he looked to Kolivan, who appeared as if he could find the situation amusing if he wasn’t so confused about it, he was given nothing but a subtle head shake before he turned back to his tablet. Keith had already finished his meal but knew he couldn’t leave until Prince Lance did too, which added some fun context to the circumstances. The Princess sighed deeply.

“Lance, honestly, stop talking about Keith like he isn’t sitting right next to you. If you’d bothered to actually  _ speak _ with your new advisor you’d find they’re quite helpful,” she said with a hand on Narti’s shoulder. 

“Well of course, that’s easy for you to say,” the Prince grumbled. “Yours isn’t ugly like mine.”

What the  _ fuck _ .

The King dropped his head into his hands and Kolivan choked on his juice as Princess Allura stuttered apologies. This was  _ not  _ the Prince he’d seen at the feast sticking toothpicks in peoples’ hair. Keith whipped his head around to look at the Prince.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“Oh! He speaks.”

“I’m a decorated war hero and all you have to say about me is that I’m ugly?”

“War hero or not you have a  _ mullet _ , and that is a choice you actively made.”

“What is a mullet?”

“It’s the horrid mop of hair on your head.”

“Not all of us have had the luxury of their needs being catered to them, Your Highness,” Keith attempted calmly. 

“Well yes, obviously, if your hair is anything to go by,” the Prince spat.

“I’m sorry,” Keith felt himself heating up, “have I in any way offended you with the zero words I’d spoken to you this morning?” 

“Keith,” Kolivan warned. 

Prince Lance scowled. “Your presence in a room is enough to enrage me.”

But Keith was angry now. “It seems we’ll have something in common, then,” he growled. 

“Some advisor you are.”

“You started it.”

“I started  _ nothing _ , it’s not my fault you’re here causing a scene.”

“I believe that is  _ not  _ my doing.”

The Prince gasped. “Father, I  _ refuse _ to be disrespected this way and demand he be relieved of his duties at once!”

The King sighed. “Lance, it’s not even 10 o’clock yet.” 

Keith took a deep breath and sighed it out. This was all going extremely wrong extremely fast. The Prince sputtered next to him.

“Oh I’m sorry, are you not having a pleasant morning, General Mullet? Would you like to be relieved of your post and ordered to leave immediately?” he asked.

“I’m considering it,” he mumbled. 

And even as he said it, he knew it was wrong to have said it the way he did. Because the way it came out was dry and cold and terribly sarcastic, and almost definitely precisely  _ not  _ the way you’re to address his Royal Highness. 

The Prince ended up throwing his drink at Keith’s face and storming out of the room. So overall - a terrifically awful morning. 

It wasn’t even 10 o'clock yet.  

\----------

Keith was chewed out by Kolivan but only a little bit. Even his superior had been a little taken aback after what had happened at breakfast. Afterwards, the Prince had stormed away and locked himself in his room for the remainder of the morning, and Keith had been dismissed to his own room to clean bael pulp from his face and uniform before he was to escort him to his first lesson at noon. 

He was sitting at his desk and attempting to scrub the sticky yellow from his collar when there was a knock at his door. To his surprise he opened it to Princess Allura standing there, holding a long dark fabric in her arms. She smiled sheepishly up at him.

“Hello Keith. May I come in?” she asked. Keith, thankfully, managed to remember not to stand there and blink at her like an idiot and bowed his head lightly before standing aside.

“Of course, Princess.” She walked inside and glanced around, before turning to face Keith and holding out the bundle in her hands. 

“New uniform,” she clarified as Keith took it from her. “They were supposed to be a surprise to all of the Blade for later today but,” she glanced at Keith’s stained uniform shirt abandoned at his desk, “I figured you’d have more use for it now.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“You’re welcome,” she cleared her throat. “I wanted to apologize for my brother earlier.” Keith went stiff.

“Respectfully, Your Highness, no. I should be the one to apologize, I was completely out of line and entirely inappropriate, and I lost control of my temper and I’m really so sorry--”

“Keith, please, there is something you need to understand,” she interjected, and Keith felt his ears drop after realizing he had been rambling. She gestured to his bed. “Sit,” she said as she placed herself in his desk chair.

He sat at the edge of his bed and immediately made a point of not fiddling with his fingers. He’d already had one intense and intimidating conversation with a member of the Royal family, then a fight with one, and now he was about to have a talk with the Princess who hadn’t said more than a few words to him before now. Shiro was in for an earful this evening. 

“I really am very sorry about Lance,” she began. “Truly. It has been a difficult transition for him this last week, and while he is my brother and I love him, he can really be… troublesome. You must know to not take his outburst today personally.”

“Alright.”

“You see, when we were young we did not have advisors or personal guards and the like. When… when our mother was alive,” Princess Allura took a deep breath, “she was with us always. We still had Coran to govern us officially, but Mother was adamant about personally teaching and advising us as we grew. Lance and her were especially close.”

Keith nodded.

“When she passed away, Father decided we would have official advisors to be with us for the rest of our youths, and Lance had hated every single one of them. He felt as though none of them could replace what Mother was to him, and,” she looked almost amused, “the little brat found a way to get every one of them to leave. ‘Glorified babysitters’ he called them.”

Keith’s brows raised in shock, and he realized he’d started fiddling with his fingers anyway. The Prince was turning out to be a  _ nightmare _ .

“You mustn’t let this worry you,” the Princess amended. “Our family owes too much to yourself and your fellow Blades to ever force your leave from your position. I just…” she reached a hand onto his shoulder. “I wanted you to know that you are  _ wanted  _ here, Keith. My brother is a bit of a menace, yes. But please don’t let his personal issues interfere with your opinion of this place, and my family.”

Keith nodded and smiled at her, unsure what to say and struck with his own surprise. Her father was intimidating, and her brother was a terror, but the Princess was actually quite easy to be around. 

“I… still think I should probably apologize to your father,” he said sheepishly. 

She laughed warmly. “Don’t fuss. I very much like you, Keith. I hope to become your friend.”

“As do I, Your Highness.”

“You know, I was planning on taking Narti with me tomorrow to show her the city. Would you like to come along?”

“It would be an honor, Princess.”

“Excellent,” Princess Allura stood and began towards the door, and Keith reached around to open it for her. Before she left, she turned to Keith again.

“I know you have reason to believe otherwise, but Lance grows on you. Give him time.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.” She nodded and turned to walk away down the hall, and as Keith closed the door he released a long breath and realized he probably hadn’t breathed that entire time. 

Keith remembered then the new uniform the Princess had brought him, and after putting it on realized he quite liked it. It was dark in the same way his Blade uniform had been, only with highlights of blue and white thrown in with the classic Marmoran purple across the shoulders, chest, thighs, and calves.  _ Both Marmoran and Altean _ , he thought to himself. He thought about what Princess Allura had told him as he looked at his new uniform. 

_ You are wanted here _ . 

Not by Prince Lance, perhaps. But by both King Alfor and now Princess Allura, that had been made clear. The Prince didn’t have to like him, could even hate him, but Keith refused to let everyone else down. He wouldn’t let anyone else down. 

And with that thought Keith squared his shoulders, did his best to straighten his hair, and went to escore the Prince to his first class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what I love! Absolutely nothing; I hate this chapter and fought these words the whole way through so. Take this away from me.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Keith and Allura interaction, I'd love to know what you thought of it. Next chapter is a little more plot focused BUT will involve both Shiro and Dads of Marmora! Eat up, fools.


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